Riverside police gather more information in search for missing woman

Riverside police have obtained additional information in the search for Lisa Ann Vais, a Riverside woman who was reported missing Sunday from her home in the zero to 100 block of Kimbark Road.

Vais has been missing for two weeks prior to the date she was reported missing to police, authorities said.

Before leaving home, Vais converted $20,000 in cash into silver coins and left home with a significant amount of cash, police said in a Tuesday news release.

Additionally, at 5:13 p.m. March 13, which was before Vais was reported missing, she reportedly made a large grocery purchase at a Food Lion grocery store located in Brevard, N.C. She reportedly bought $3,100.00 in nonperishable and canned goods.

This was an unusual purchase, so police reached out to the management of the store and interviewed employees. Vais came into the store on her own, made the purchase and had store employees assist her to the car. She told the cashier that she was making this purchase because she was going to be gone for a long time and would not be near a grocery store. Riverside police obtained video footage and a photo of her exiting the grocery store.

On March 15, Riverside police received a report that a Georgia resident believes she spotted Vais in Gainesville, Ga. She told police that she saw somebody matching the description walking on the roadway at 6:30 p.m. in the area of John W. Morrow Parkway at Jessie Jewel Parkway in Gainesville. Police contacted the Gainesville police but they had no report of any incident involving Vais.

Police also learned through tracking her movements, that on March 11, Vais was briefly admitted to Advent Health Hospital in Fletcher, N.C. She reported having a heart problem and was taken to the hospital by a friend. She was treated in the emergency room and released as the medical personnel at the hospital found no injuries or medical condition that would keep her hospitalized, police said.

“There is no doubt that Ms. Vais is in need of some assistance,” Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said in a statement. “Her family stated that she is in extreme emotional distress, and it is imperative that we find her as soon as possible. Riverside officers and detectives are working around the clock in an attempt to locate Ms. Vais, and she has been entered into every national database for missing persons that exists.”

Vais is described as white, 55 years old, last seen driving a blue and gray 2015 Mazda CX5 SUV with Illinois license plate 1742048. She is 5 feet, 2 inches tall, weighs 145 pounds and has blond hair and hazel eyes. police said.

Vais was last seen leaving her home in Riverside and was reportedly on her way to Tuscaloosa, Ala., as her son lives in that area.

Her cell phone was last pinged by police in Murphy, N.C. at 2 a.m. on Sunday. Her phone has since been turned off or the battery has died as it has stopped pinging.

Police entered Vais into the national databank for missing persons and notified authorities in North Carolina and Alabama.

Anyone who sees Vais should call their local law enforcement agency. Please be prepared to provide her current location and clothing description. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call 911 or Riverside police at 708-447-9191.